Lubricating system and appliance.



C. C. WAKEFIELD.

LUBRICATING SYSTEM AND APPLIANCE.

APPLICATI N FILED FEB. 4. I916- Ll 9&1 W3 Patented Sept. 12, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Witnesses llhllTEU @TATF% CHARLES CHEERS WAKEFIELD, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

LUBRICATING SYSTEM AND APPLIANCE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 12, 1916.

Application filed February 24, 1916. Serial No. 80,242.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLEs CI-IEERs \VAKEFIELI), a subject of the King of England, residing in London, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lubricating Systems and Appliances, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is for improvements in or relating to lubricating systems and appliances and has for one of its objects to provi de a device which may be readily applied to existing force-feed or mechanical lubrieating systems and whereby steam is admixed with the lubricating oil before it is delivered to the parts to be lubricated.

For convenience the device to which this invention specifically refers will be termed in the following description a steam and lubricant mixer and the main body of the device will be referred to as the steam-dis tributing boxj.

It is well-known to mix steam with the lubricant for lubricating those parts to which steam for working purposes is supplied, and the lubricant for this purpose has either been passed into the live-steam pipe or into a mixing-chamber where it mixes with the steam prior to being fed therewith to the part to be lubricated. The present invention therefore has reference to a specific construction of steam-distributing box and consists in the combination with a steamdistribnting box having a longitudinal steamway, transverse lubricant-passages in a different plane from that of the steamway, mixing-chambers which communicate each with a different transverse passage and also through steam feed passages, one for each mixing-chamber, with the steam-way, of means for connecting a plurality of lubricant conduits to the box, each in communication with the free end of a difierent transverse passage, and means for connecting a plurality of delivery-conduits to the box each in communication with a different mixing-chamber for the purpose of providing a simple fitting for which only one steam-connection is necessary for any number of lubricating conduits.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate one method of carrying out this invention :Figure 1 is a plan of the steam and lubricant mixer; Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the device on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the device on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

The same letters indicate the same parts throughout the drawings.

The distributing-box A is oblong in form and may be cast in a single piece. It has a longitudinal steam-way A which is conveniently drilled from one end of the box which is afterward plugged as at A At the top of the box a projection A is provided which is screw-threaded to receive connections for a steam-supply pipe A Above the steamway A is a series of transverse lubricant-passages B and screwed into one side of the box opposite each of such passages is a fitting B having a screw-- threaded end B which receives connections for a lubricant-supply conduit B The fitting B containing a check-valve B forms no part of the present invention and there fore need not be described in the specification. Each passage B has free communication with the fitting 13 opposite it, so that th lubricant fed in by each supply-conduit B can pass to the said passages B through the respective check-valves 13*.

On the opposite side of the distributingbox is a series of projections C in which mixing chambers C are formed. These pro ections are internally screw-threaded to receive a baflle-piece C which is in the form of a plug reduced in diameter at its center. The bafl'le-piece is drilled longitudinally from one end into the reduced central portion to provide a passage 0 and from the end of this passage it is drilled transversely at 0 which transverse passage opens out at both ends at the sides of the reduced central portion of the baffle so that there is communication again at this point with the mixing-chamber .C The reduced portion of the plug or bafiie is provided with another transverse passage 0 near the passage 0 but preferably at right-angles thereto, and from this passage 0 a second longitudinal passage 0 extends to the end of the plug opposite that at which the passage 0 is provided. The passages 0 to o are all of a restricted character.

The outer end of each projection C is screw-threaded to receive connections for a lubricant-delivery conduit C Screwed into the bottom of the distributing-box A is a plurality of plugs D one of which is situated beneath each of the transverse passages B. Above each plug and above the steamway A is a chamber D In this chamber a ball-valve D is mounted, which valve is retained in place by a screwring D said ring providing a valve-seat for the ball. The valve operates to prevent fluid from passing through the ring to the steamway A Each chamber D communicates by a restricted steam-feed passage D With the mixing-chamber wherewith the transverse passage immediately above said chainber D communicates. It will be seen that the screw plugs D are provided to close the outer ends of the borings, which are made for the purpose of forming the chambers D and assembling the parts therein. This distributing-box may be connected to any form of force-feed lubricator and each conduit B represents one of the delivery-conduits of such force-feed lubricator. Similarly any one of the conduits C may be connected to any part to be lubricated in the same way as the conduits B would be connected if the distributing-box were not interposed, or instead of the feed-conduits B the distributing-box may in some cases be built on to the force-feed lubricator so that the checkvalve fittings B and the lubricator are directly connected, that is to say, without any intermediate conduit. The steam-conduit A is connected direct to the boiler so that steam pressure is maintained in the steamway A even if the steam-supply for driving the apparatus to which the lubricator is applied i shut off.

The operation of this device is as follows :Lubricant is constantly fed by the pumps or other devices supplying the conduits B past the check-valves B and through the passages B into the mixingchamber C Steam also continuously passes from the steam-way A past the valves D and through the restricted passages D into the mixing-chambers. Here the steam and lubricant are mixed, which mixing is further aided by the baffle C The restricted passages through this battle necessitate an intimate contact between the steam and oil and the steam and oil being released into the mixing chamber C again by the transverse passage 0 in the baflie, furthers the mixing. The steam and oil thus thoroughly mixed are finally fed into the delivery-conduits C and conveyed by them to the parts to be lubricated. The valves D are important as they prevent lubricant from being discharged into the steamway if any one delivery-conduit C should become blocked. What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a steam and lubricant mixer for a force-feed lubricator, the combination with a steam distributing-box having a longitudinal steamway (A transverse lubricantpassages (B) in a difierent plane from that of the steamway, and mixing-chambers (G which communicate each with a different transverse passage and also each with a steam-feed passage (D one for each mixing-chamber, of means for connecting a plurality of lubricant-conduits to the box each in communication with the free end of a different transverse passage, and means for connecting a plurality of delivery-conduits to the box each in communication with a diflerent mixing-chamber, substantially as set forth.

2. In a steam and lubricant mixer for a force-feed lubricator, the combination with a steam-distributing box having a longitudinal steamway (A transverse lubricantpassages (B) in a different plane from that of the steamway, and mixing-chambers (G which communicate each with a diflerent transverse passage and also each with a steam-feed passage (D one for each mixing-chamber, of means for connecting a plurality of lubricant-conduits to the box each. in communication with the free end of a diiferent transverse passage, means for connecting a plurality of delivery-conduits to the box each in communication with a different mixing-chamber and a plurality oi": non-return valves situated operatively, one between each of the aforesaid steam-feed passages (D and the steamway (A said valve operating to prevent the passage of fluid into the steamway from the mixingchamber. substantially as set forth.

3. In a steam and lubricant mixer for a force-feed lubricator, the combination with a steam-distributing box having a longitudinal steamway (A transverse lubricantpassages (B) in a different plane from that of the steamway, and mixing-chambers (C which communicate each with a difterent transverse passage and also each with a steam-feed passage (D one for each mixing-chamber, of means for connecting a plurality of lubricant-conduits to the box each in communication with the free end of a diflerent transverse passage, means for connecting a plurality of delivery-conduits to the box each in communication with a diflerent mixing-chamber, and a plurality of valves (D mounted in chambers (D one adjacent to each transverse passage (B) and above the steamway (A each chamber being in communication with the steamway (A through its valve and having free communication each with one of the steam-feed passages (D the valves closing against passage of fluid to the steamway, a screw-ring (D in each chamber for retaining the valve therein, said ring being situated above the steamway (A and providing a seating for the valve, and screw-plugs (D) in the bottom of the distributing-box for closing the outer ends of borings made for the purpose of forming the chambers (D and admitting the screw-rings (D substantially as set forth.

4. In a steam and lubricant mixer for a force-feed lubricator, a steam-distributing box having a longitudinal steam-Way (A a plurality of lubricantpassages (B) which lie across the steamway but do not intersect the same, screw-threaded means provided along one side of the box for receiving lubricant-conduits the axis of flow through the said means being transverse to that of the steamway (A one such screw-threaded receiving means being located opposite and comi'nunicating with the open end of each transverse passage (B), a plurality of mixing-chambers (G situated one at that end of each lubricant-passage remote from the aforesaid connecting means, a plurality of valves (D mounted in chambers (D one adjacent to each transverse passage and situated between one of the aforesaid mixingchambers and its corresponding means for connecting a conduit to the passage (B) which feeds it, each valve-chamber being in communication with the steamway (A through its valve, the said valve being arranged to close against the passage of fluid to the steamway, a plurality of steam-feed passages one connecting each mixing-chamber with its corresponding valve-chamber, a screw-ring (D in each valve-chamber for retaining the valve therein, said ring being situated above the steamway (A and providing a seating for the valve, screw-plugs (D) in the bottom of the distributing-box for closing the outer ends of the borings made for the purpose of forming the chambers (D and means for connecting a plurality of delivery conduits to the box each in communication with a different mixingchamber, substantially as set forth.

5. In a steam and lubricant mixer for a force-feed lubricator, a steam-distributing box having a longitudinal steamway (A a plurality of lubricant-passages (B) which lie across the steamway but do not intersect the same, screw-threaded means provided along one side of the box for receiving lubricant-conduits the axis of flow through the said means being transverse to that of the steamway (A one such screw-threaded receiving means being located opposite and communicating with the open end of each transverse passage (B), a plurality of mixing-chambers (G situated one at that end of each lubricant-passage remote from the aforesaid connecting means and formed each in a separate lateral projection wherewith the steam-distributing box is provided on the side opposite that to which the lubricant conduits are connected, a plurality of valves (D mounted in chambers (D one adjacent to each transverse passage and situated between one of the aforesaid mixing-chambers and its corresponding means for connecting a conduit to the passage which feeds it, each valve-chamber being in communication with the steamway (A through its valve, the said valve being arranged to close against the passage of fluid to the steamway, a plurality of steam-feed passages one connecting each mixing-chamber with its corresponding valve-chamber, a screw-ring (D in each valve-chamber for retaining the valve therein, said ring being situated above the steamway (A and pro viding a seating for the valve, screw-plugs (D) in the bottom of the distributing-box for closing the outer ends of the borings made for the purpose of forming the chambers (D and means for connecting a plurality of delivery-conduits to the box each in communication with a different mixingchamber, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES CHEERS WAKEFIELD.

Witnesses: WM. 0. BROWN,

FRED L. HU'rorIINGs.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

